Toy vehicle apparatus



Feb. 21, 1933. J. F. KEY 1,898,633

TOY VEHI CLE APPARATUS Filed Feb. 25, 1931 Inventor 17 Jami/3 f Attorneys Patented Feb. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE} nuns FRANCIS KEY, or rnsennnmon'riironnm, ASSIGNOR or SIXTY-Emmi PER. GENT; T0 'JAMES'IRVINE, JR,

TOY VEHICLE APPARATUS cAp plication fi1ed ,1 ebruary 25, 1931.- -Seria1 No; 518,101; 7

This invention relates to a toy vehicle apparatus and refers particularly toan electric driven toy vehicle and means for guiding the electric vehicle capable of operation without the usual tracks. v

Heretofore electric toy vehicles have either operated upon tracks or have merely revolved 7 around a central post. It is the {general object of the present invention to provide a.

. toy vehicle which can be run on the ground or floor through a variable path and to provide the toy vehicle with means for connecting electric wires thereto and for automati cally supporting and playing in and out electrical wires as the operations of the vehicle require.

More particularly, it is the objectof the I present invention to provide an electric vehicle which may be guided by a string or 20 cable looped around a plurality of supports, in which the electrical vehicle is provided with a swivel contact connecting the vehicle with electric lead lines and in which the electric lead lines are provided with a simple and effective supporting means capable of holding the lead lines above the ground or surface of operation where they are out of possible contact with the vehicle, together.

' with means for automatically paying out the line as is required in the different motions of the vehicle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide aconstruction of a toy vehicle and 7 operating accessories therefor for connecting cessories may be readily detached from the toy vehicle so that any number of similar or somewhat similar vehicles may, when desired be alternately actuated and controlled by the same appliances. e

The present invention, together with various objects and advantages thereof will v best be understood from a description of a preferred form or example of a vehicle embodying the invention. For this purpose I electric lines thereto, which operating ac-' pivotal connection between the bars 6 and the have hereinafter described, with reference" to the accompanying drawing, a preferredform or example of the invention, in which drawing Figure l is adiagralnmatic view of the-@ invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation mainly in sectionshowing the detachable electric swivel contact which is used for connecting the electric lines to the toy vehicle; 9 Figure 3 1s a plan View or section oIi-the line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged elevation: of a hanger used for supporting the lead lines to the toy vehicle; i Figure 5 is a plan view of the hanger; i A Figure 6 is an enlarged plan View partially in section of a, pulley and bracket used on' the vehicle for guiding the vehicle from a string or cable; and i i 5 Figure?- refers to a slightly 'ddified form I of supporting means for the electric lead lines. i

There is illustrated in the drawing an elec-- trically driven toy vehicle'2 which maybe 7 bumper rod 7.' e v p S5 Attached to the bumper rod 7 is provided a bracket 8,- be'st illustrated in Figure 6,

which carries. a pulley 9 disposed on a vertical axis andadapted to engage a; guiding string or cable 10. The bracket '8 alsois pref- 90 erably provided with a retaining member 11 in the form of a bent wire which will hold the cable or string 10 in contact with the groove of the pulley 9 in operation of the toy vehicle.

The cable or string 10 in operation may be an endless cable or string of any desired length and in operation is merely laid on the floor or ground around one or more posts or like supports 12.

In operation of the vehicle, when the vehicle is driven forward under the power of its electrical motor, the springs 8 tend to turn the-toy vehicle outwardly away from the guiding cable 10 and the pulley 9 engaging the cable 10 thereby guides the toy vehicle around the post 12 or other objects around which the cable or string 10 is placed.

For connecting electricity to the vehicle 2 for operating the electric motor thereof, the vehicle is preferably provided with a vertical post 13 which is in electrical contact with the frame or ground of the vehicle. Within the hollow post 13 there is provided a rod 14 insulated from the frame by insulations 15 and 16 connected at its lower end as indicated at 17 with a line leading to the motor of the vehicle. It is understood that the motor (not shown) of the vehicle has one end connected with the point 17 and the other endgrounded. The upper end of the rod 14 is provided with a knob 18.

" shaped 19 indicates an electric line carrying two wires covered by a single outer'wrapping,

which line 19 has a posltlve and neg ative wire insulated from each other, the positive wire being connected to the clip 20 and the negative wire to the clip 21. Chps 20 and 21 are mounted by a swivel contact member 22 which comprise the lower U- piece 23 which has an opening 24 of "a size sufficient to fit over the post 13 and pivot the member 22 thereon. The member 22 also includes a top member 25 connected with the U-shaped member 23 by bolts 26 and separated therefrom by insulation 27. The top member 25 is provided with a hookshaped opening 28 adapted to fit under the knob 18 on the rod 14 and provides a sec ond pivotal point support for the member 22. Preferably, there is provided a coil spring '29, the lower end of which is supported by the rod 13, as indicated at 30, the upper end 1 of which engages the member 22 to hold the same firmly in position on the rod 13. By

this construction the Wire connected with the clip 20 is connected with the central rod 14 and the wire connected with the clip 21 is connected through the spring 29with the outer tubular post 13.

With the construction thus described the line 19 and the swivel contacting member 22 may be readily separated from the post 13 i from-thetoy 2 merely by unlocking the top member 25 of the swivel contact 22 by first top of the T-shaped member 32 extends outwardly and provides a support for the swivel hook 36 of a pulley 37. The supporting member 31 thus described may-in operation be readily supported, for eXainple,'by the molding 38 inthe room.

The pulley 37 in operation may carry the line 19 and to maintain the line slightly taut so that it will be held in the air in operation of the vehicle, a weight 39 is tied on the line 19. Figure 7 illustrates a slightly modified method of utilizing a hanger and pulley, in which casethe line 19 in place of being trained'over the pulley 37 is attached to a string 20, the other end of which carries a weight 21 and the string 20 is trained around the pulley 37. l

While the particular form of toy vehicle herein described is well adapted to carry out the objects of the present invention, it is to be-understood that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the present invention, and this invention includes all such modifications and changes'as come within the seope'of the following claims.

I claim:

lfA toy vehicle having a contact post comprising an outer tubular member and an inner member, one of said membersbeing grounded to the frame of the vehicle and the other having a lead line which may be at tached to the motor of the vehicle, a swivel contact having one member engaging the outer tube and the other member swivelly engaging the inner rod, and'means for connecting electric lead lines separately to said members of said swivel contact.

2. A toy vehicle having 'a contact post comprising an outer tubular member and an inner member, one of saidmembers being grounded to the frame of the vehicle and the other having a lead line which may be attached to the motor of the vehicle, a swivel contact having one member engaging the outer tube and the other member swivelly engaging the inner rod, means for connecting electric lead lines separately to said members of said swivel contact, and spring means engaging said swivel contact member.'

3. In a toy apparatus, the combination with an electrically driven toy vehicle having avertically extending post and an electric contact member swivelly mounted upon said post, a leadline connected with'said contact member and a pulley carrying hanger around which said line is trained, said hanger having hooked ends by which it may be suspended from a molding, and a Weight for normally placing the line from the pulley t0 the toy vehicle under tension.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 19th day of February, 1931.

JAMES FRANCIS KEY. 

